Apparatus for controlling and operating the points of electric railways or tramways.



No. 747,796. PATEN-TED DEC. 22, 1903;

. T. B. STEWART, W..H. TURNER dz R. B. DIXON. 'APPARATUS FOR GONTROLLING AND OPERATING THB POINTSOF ELECTRIC RAILWAYS 0R TRAMWA YS.

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No. 747,796. I PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903. T. B, STEWART, H. TURNER & R. E. DIXON.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND OPERATING THE POINTS OF ELECTRIC RAILWAYS 0R TRAMWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1903.

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il'NITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BELL STEWART, WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER, AND ROWLAND EDWARD DIXON, on LEEDS, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND OPER'ATlNG Tl-lE POINTS OF ELECTRIC RAILWAY S R TRAMWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingoart of Letters Patent No. 747,796, dated December 22, 1903.

Application filed March 6| 1903.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS BELL STEW- ART, WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER, and Row- LAND ED ARD DIXON, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Leeds, inthe county of York,Engl-and, have invent-ed a new and useful Apparatus for Controlling and Operating the Points of Electric Railways or Tramways, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention is a further improvement on the apparatus described in our prior specification, filed April 1, 1902, Serial No. 100,952, and is applicable to all systems of electric railways and tramways, the object being to provide an improved apparatus for automatically controlling and operating the points at the j unctions of such railways and tram ways. According to our invention the points are operated automatically by means of an electromagnetic solenoid, which is suitably situated beside or near the rail (preferably in an iron street boX or pillar placed at the. side of the track) and is controlled from the car by the motor-man. At each end of the vehicle a small controlling-switch is placed, which when closed allows a current of electricity to flow to an insulated metal collecting hanger, brush, or trolley placed under the vehicle when the said hanger, brush, or trolley is making contact with auxiliary metal rails, switch-plates, or studs, which are laid on the track between and efficiently insulatedfrom the rails over which the vehicle is passing. Of these said auxiliary rails one or more of a convenient length are embedded in the track at a suitable distance from the point to be actualed and are connected by insulated electric Wires to the solenoids on the switchboard in the iron box beside the track.

Figure 1 is a plan showing position of apparatus as applied to an overhead-cable system. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of solenoid and its connections for operating both the rail-point and the overhead point or frog. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing method of controlling the solenoid from the car. Fig.

4. is a side elevation of a modified arrangement of hanger, brush, or trolley.

Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

bind the junction.

Serial No. 146,489. (No model.)

The core a of the solenoid b is connected to the rail-point c by means of rod d or other. connection and is also (in the case of overhead-cable systems) connected to the overhead point or frog e by means of hand-lever f, pivot 14, pin 15, rod g, lever h, and wired or by other suitable connections. These connections may be operated by hand when required by means of the hand-lever f independent of the electrical apparatus. 1

The solenoid b is controlled from the car b means of a switch or switches is and-is operated by the insulated hanger, brush, or trolley 16,makingcontact withauxiliary rails, switch-plates, or studs 17, which are laid on the track between the rails over which the car is passing. The said rails, plates, or studs 17 are of any convenientlength and are arranged at a suitable distance from the junction, one of them being on the main line in front of the junction and the other on the branch line be- They are in electrical connection with the switchboard 3 by means of lead-wires 4 5, fuses 6 7, and magnets 8 9. The lead-wire 10 from the overhead cable m (or from the underground feeder-cable) connects with the solenoid b by means of fuse 11 and main switch 12 when closed, the whole being preferably inclosed within the box 15. The two parts of the switch 12 which are attached to the switchboard are separated by insulating material 50, so that when the switch-lever is thrown out, as shown in Fig. 2, no current passes from the wire 10 to the solenoid 1).

The hanger 16 is carried, Fig. 3, by means of pivoted lever 18, magnet 19, and bracket ng with'the points in anyway. 'When a branch-line car comes along, the motorman before arriving at the points to be actuated closes the switch is, and so sends a current through the magnet 19. This displaces the hanger 16 and allows it to sweep the first rail orswitch-plate 17, thus making electrical contact and sending a current through the leadwire 4, exciting the magnet 8, and closing the witch 12. This allows a current from the lead-wire 10 to excite the solenoid b, which draws in the core a and actuates the rail-point c, at the same time (in the case of overheadcable systems) actuating the overhead point or frog e by means of the wire t' and its connections. When the car has passed into the branch line, the hanger 16 makes contact with the second rail or switch 17, sending a current through the lead-wire 5, exciting the magnet 9, and opening the switch 12. This breaks the main circuit and allows the core Ct to be drawn out again by means ofasuitable spring, weight, or other convenient device, thus an tomatically reversing the rail-point c and at the same time relaxing the tension of the wire 2', which permits the overhead point e to be antomatically reversed by means of a suitable spring, such as 28, in the ordinary manner.

The said apparatus beneath the car may be modified so as to consist, Fig. 4:, of a skate or hanger 16, adjustably suspended from the bracket 20, preferably by means of bracket 25, slotted arms 26, and elastic bufiers 27, with electrical connection 23 from main controller-wire through switches Itand resistance 22 (which may be fixed in any convenient position on the car) to the said skate or hanger 16. In this form the skate or hanger 16 is self-adjusting and makes sliding contact with the aforesaid rails, switch-plates, or studs 17, thus causing the actuation of the point or points in the manner hereinbefore described. For large junctions or where several sets of points are near together our invention may be modified so that each set of points may be automatically controlled and operated as above described, but the whole to be controlled from a master-switchboard placed in any convenient position near the junction.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railroad, the combination,

with a railroad-switch,and two contact-plates 17 arranged on the main and branch tracks respectively; of a stationary electromagnet b for operating the said railroad-swit-ch,a continuous main conductor m, a switch e in the said main conductor operated by the said electromagnet h simultaneously with the said railroad-switch, a movable contact-hanger 16 carried by the car and connected with the said main conductor m, a branch conductor 10 between the main conductor m and the electromagnet b, a switch 12 in the said conductor 10, and electromagnets 8 and 9 controlling the switch 12 and connected with the respective contact-plates 17, the said electromagnets 8 and 9 being energized when the contact-hanger 16 is placed in contact with the respective contact-plates 17.

2. In an electric railroad, the combination,v

with arailroad-sWitcl1,and two contact-plates 17 arranged on the main and branch tracks respectively; of a stationary electromagnet Z) for operating the said railroad-switch,a continuous main conductor m, a movable contact-hanger 16 carried by the car and connected with the said main conductor m, an electromagnet 19 for operating the contacthanger 16, a branch conductor provided with a hand-switch 7c and connecting the electromagnet 19 with the main conductor m, a branch conductor 10 between the main conductor m and the electromagnet b, a switch 12 in the said conductor 10, and electromagnets8and 9 controlling the switch 12 and connected with the respective contact-plates 17, the said electromagnets 8 and 9 being energized when the contact-hanger 16 is placed in contact with the respective contact-plates 17. In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS BELL STEl/VART. WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER. ROWLAND EDWARD DIXON.

Witnesses:

ALLAN BENNETT, JOHN E. WALSH. 

